Today I will try to give you a short overview on Germany and it fabulous beers because I think it's time for some important information before we continue sampling.
As you probably know, Making beer in Germany is highly regulated. The brewers must adhere to something called "Reinheitsgebot". This is a so called "purity law" that dates from 1516. They must use only water, hops and barley malt when they are making their beer. The law has been updated. Yeast can also be used now since it wasn't discovered in 1516!
For German brewers, no preservatives or chemicals of any kind are allowed. Now you know why it's so good.
There are many different German beers to try when in Germany. There are light beers and dark beers, wheat beers and bock beers, pilsners, lagers and ales. Most beers have between 5-6 percent alcohol, but beware of some of the bock beers, 16 percent alcohol can be too much!
Of Germany's 1,300 or so breweries, the highest concentration is in Bavaria. And they have the greatest variety of beer styles. You can spend several lunches and dinners exploring the beer halls of Munich. Surely you've heard of the Hofbrauhaus. The other biggies are Lowenbrau, Augustinerbrau, Paulaner, Hacker-Pschorr, and Spaten. And of course, there is always the Oktoberfest! Here you can try all of the above.
By the way, for American readers, "light" beer or "helles beer" means only that it's light in color. it doesn't refer to the calories or the alcohol in it. There are beers that are lower in calories and alcohol and they are "leicht" beers, not "helles" beers.
However, you should always beware of drinking and driving. The legal limit for blood alcohol in Germany is .05 grams of alcohol per liter of blood. You can be forced to submit to a blood test so save enjoying those beers for days when you won't be driving or for the evenings once you're settled into your hotel.
Prost! Here's to German Beer and to Germany!
As you probably know, Making beer in Germany is highly regulated. The brewers must adhere to something called "Reinheitsgebot". This is a so called "purity law" that dates from 1516. They must use only water, hops and barley malt when they are making their beer. The law has been updated. Yeast can also be used now since it wasn't discovered in 1516!
For German brewers, no preservatives or chemicals of any kind are allowed. Now you know why it's so good.
There are many different German beers to try when in Germany. There are light beers and dark beers, wheat beers and bock beers, pilsners, lagers and ales. Most beers have between 5-6 percent alcohol, but beware of some of the bock beers, 16 percent alcohol can be too much!
Of Germany's 1,300 or so breweries, the highest concentration is in Bavaria. And they have the greatest variety of beer styles. You can spend several lunches and dinners exploring the beer halls of Munich. Surely you've heard of the Hofbrauhaus. The other biggies are Lowenbrau, Augustinerbrau, Paulaner, Hacker-Pschorr, and Spaten. And of course, there is always the Oktoberfest! Here you can try all of the above.
By the way, for American readers, "light" beer or "helles beer" means only that it's light in color. it doesn't refer to the calories or the alcohol in it. There are beers that are lower in calories and alcohol and they are "leicht" beers, not "helles" beers.
However, you should always beware of drinking and driving. The legal limit for blood alcohol in Germany is .05 grams of alcohol per liter of blood. You can be forced to submit to a blood test so save enjoying those beers for days when you won't be driving or for the evenings once you're settled into your hotel.
Prost! Here's to German Beer and to Germany!
